I
became interested in Oldsmobiles through a friend and purchased (actually
traded a reel-to-reel tape deck for) a 1957 dark gray 98 two-door hardtop
from him in 1966. The ‘57 had power windows and seat and was used
to transport me in upstate New York and to take me back and forth to
school in Boston. I even drag raced it at a 1/8th mile track at Fulton,
NY turning 66 mph (I don’t remember the time) and winning “J
stock automatic” against a 1958 Pontiac probably mostly by luck.
After a few runs, I learned I could get the best times by “brake
revving” the car but I had to time it right because the power
brakes took a fraction of a second to release before the car would move.
I spent a ridiculous amount of money (for the time and my income) adding
exhaust dumps and doing other meaningless tasks aimed at improving performance.
The car trapped me once due to a poor negative battery connection. I
had just backed into a tight parking spot and turned the car off when
I discovered that I could barely open the door - certainly not enough
to get out. I went to start the car but there was just a click and then
nothing. I was stuck there unable to open the doors, roll down the windows
or blow the horn. Finally someone saw me waving and came close enough
to get directions on how to correct the battery connection. In 1967
the car developed valve problems (probably the camshaft problem common
to the 371 CID engine) and I gave the car away (sure wish I kept it
now).

My
next Oldsmobile was a 1959 gold Dynamic 88 four-door sedan. It was an
unremarkable car but served the purpose of carrying me to school in
Boston until graduation in 1968 and then was primary transportation
to my first job as a “learner draftsman” at the General
Dynamics Shipyard in Quincy, MA. Working, with money in my pocket and
no responsibilities, it didn’t take long before I convinced my
buddy to sell me his gorgeous red over white 1962 98 Holiday Coupe that
I had been coveting for several years. I can recall proudly getting
a check from the credit union for $800 to purchase it. Like the '57,
the '62 had power windows & seat and required high octane gas but,
what the heck it was only $0.25 per gallon and cigarettes were only
$0.25 per pack. The ‘62 was the car my wife and I used for our
honeymoon in 1969 and there were 150,000 miles on the car when I sold
it in 1970.

I
found the green 1964 Cutlass post coupe with a 330 CID V8, Rochester
4GC, and Jetaway transmission behind a Natick, MA dealership in the
“wholesale lot” and probably should never have bought it.
The transmission fluid was burnt, one of the rear shocks bent double
and you could see blue smoke from the exhaust when the engine was stressed.
But still, it was quick and gave me an opportunity to spend more money.
In 1971 I sold the ‘64 and purchased a 1966 silver Cutlass coupe
with a black vinyl roof. I was told it had been drag raced at a local
strip but was never able to confirm it. The Cutlass had a 330 CID V8,
4V Quadrajet, 442 exhaust, and four speed transmission. I put 180,000
miles on the ‘66 Cutlass and rebuilt the engine once before the
frame rusted (caused by rear window leaks) and I had to get rid of it
in 1979.

After
that, I owned a series of non-Oldsmobiles until the purchase of my 1963
Starfire. While growing up, I had always wanted to own two cars: a 1962
Starfire (one of my bosses owned one that I had occasion to drive) and
a 1965 442 like a friend owned. In 1997 I decided to find these cars
that I had always desired.

1963
Starfire Holiday Coupe (Provincial White)

The
1963 Starfire was the first to join the modern collection in August
1997. The ‘63 was not my first choice, but I couldn’t find
a 1962 Starfire. It was a solid car, although it had some body filler,
and had spent its entire life in New England. The car was assembled
in Linden, NJ and was originally tan. According to the history related
to me by the previous owner, the car was purchased by a woman in Boston
and, after some years, sold to a student from Brazil who lived in Boston
and used it to commute to school and later to work. At some point he
returned to Brazil and placed the car in storage. In 1988 he contacted
a friend in Boston and asked him to remove the car from storage and
sell it for him (which is where the previous owner obtained it). The
car was repainted white after a collision and the motor was rebuilt
in 1993. Since its purchase, the rear bumper has been replaced (original
was rusted and damaged from the previous collision), and original 14"
wheels, tires, original spinner wheel covers, and replacement wheel
well moldings have been installed. I also had the seats recovered, detailed
the engine compartment, repaired the vacuum system for the heater, and
took care of many other small details. Although it wasn’t the
car I wanted to keep, I became attached to it and reluctantly sold the
car in 2000 to make room for the 1965 442 that I really wanted.

1965
Cutlass Holiday Coupe (Burgandy Mist)

The
1965 Cutlass was purchased via the classified advertisement section
of 442.com. I happened to be traveling on business in Minnesota when
I saw the ad and made arrangements to drive to Dodgeville, WI to see
the car. I liked the car immediately but did not buy it until I had
returned home and checked out transportation options for getting it
back to New England. It was purchased it in September 1998 and brought
east on a 3-car carrier using a local trucking broker. It was a nerve-wracking
experience but everything went well and the car was delivered after
three days of transit. The Cutlass was assembled in Lansing, MI and,
according to what I was told, was purchased new by an optometrist in
Dodgeville, WI for his wife to use to commute to Madison. The car was
undercoated (Ziebart or equivalent) and apparently was garaged and taken
care of until their family outgrew it. The owner then stored it in his
garage until the early 1990's when he replaced the brakes, brake lines,
hoses, belts, etc. and sold it to the person from whom I bought the
car. The Cutlass was rust-free except for the trunk floor and was 100%
original except for maintenance items, wheels and tires (I have the
original wheel covers). I also have the owners manual, protect-o-plate
and even the original 1965 Wisconsin plates which I attach over my antique
plates with velcro at shows. The paint looked OK from 20 feet but when
viewed close-up showed its age plus had many small parking lot dents
and scrapes. I had the car professionally detailed externally and, although
the car looked good, I knew it would soon fade and because the paint
was cracked, it couldn't be waxed without “whiting out.”
After much debate, I decided to have the car repainted during the winter
of 1998. The work was done by Golden
Oldies Performance, Inc of Wiscasset, ME. They removed
all the trim and stripped the body to bare metal before repainting with
base-coat/clear-coat laser-matched Burgundy Mist paint. The trunk and
rear body mounts were reconstructed in steel to original specifications.
Since then I have installed the premium wire-wheels with spinners that
were optional that year. It won a second place trophy in its first show
at Bonnie Eagle High School in Maine in the spring of 1999, and again
in 2000. I sold the Cutlass in 2003 to an Oldsmobile enthusiast (who
will continue to baby the car) to make room for the 1966 442.

1962
Starfire Coupe (Ebony Black / Cameo Cream)

The
1962 Starfire was purchased in August of 1999 without looking at the
car in person. The previous owner sent a very detailed videotape and,
after we came to an agreement, It arrived from New York City via a special
car carrier which holds up to six cars on two levels inside a covered
trailer. The cars are loaded using hydraulically operated ramps. I have
the original paperwork on the car which was bought in Michigan and then
immediately taken to Arizona where it spent many years. In the early
1990's the car was brought east to Syracuse, NY and subsequently ended
up in Flushing, NY. The car is all original, although some areas of
paint have been touched up and I think the engine has been detailed.
The car was sold in 2004 to make room for the 1962 Starfire Convertible.
In January 2008, Yat Ming released a high detail 1:18 diecast model
of this car.

1965
442 Holiday Coupe (Royal Mist)

When
I first learned of the 1965 442 Holiday Coupe in the summer of 1999,
it was outside of a repair shop in Massachusetts in poor physical condition.
The frame was solid as were most of the panels and the engine had been
rebuilt. Although the car ran and moved, it couldn't be driven since
the brakes were frozen. After much discussion it was purchased and sent
to the Golden
Oldies Performance, Inc in Wiscasset,
ME by flatbed for a complete restoration. The car was stripped to bare
metal, repaired, sanded, primed, painted and clear-coated Royal Mist
(the car was originally Lucerne Mist, a lighter blue). The paint is
the only deviation from original. The interior and trunk were redone,
all trim rechromed and the engine detailed. This turned out to be a
MAJOR restoration project. The car was completed in August 2000 and
took a first place trophy for Factory Muscle Cars at a 250 car show
in Medway, MA during it's first outing. Not much of the history of this
car is known. During restoration a piece of paper with an address in
Virginia was found which corresponds with information I was told. It
is clear, however, that the car sat outside without protection for many
years before I acquired it. In retrospect, the restoration was a lot
more work than originally anticipated and probably shouldn’t have
been done. Then again, I have a nicely restored car and have saved it
from the certain doom of the car crusher. I reluctantly sold the 1965
Cutlass 442 Royal Mist Holiday Coupe in May, 2006 to free up a garage
for the 1967 442.

1965
442 Convertible (Target Red)

This
'65 442 convertible is one of 1,695 four-speed convertibles built in
all plants for the 1965 model year and came to my attention on the Hemmingss
classified ad section on the internet in June 2001 almost as a complete
accident. I called the owner and he said he wasn't sure if he really
wanted to sell it. He sent me some photos by snail mail and I asked
that he call me first if he decided to sell it. I figured I would never
hear from him again and promptly forgot about it. In September I received
a note from him saying that he had decided to sell and wanting to know
if I was still interested. Still recovering from the coupe restoration
(I swore I would never do another one after that), I considered all
aspects for about 30 seconds and contacted him so I could look at the
car. It was in pretty solid shape (compared to the coupe) and it didn't
take long for us to agree on a price which included transportation by
flatbed (the interior was not in the car) to Golden
Oldies Performance, Inc in Wiscasset, Maine where was restored.
The car was assembled in the Fremont plant and purchased new by a woman
in California who sold to her brother a year later. He kept it for 30
years until he retired to Oregon in 1995 and sold it to someone in Massachusetts.
It had one more owner before I bought it. According to the cowl plate,
the car should be Target Red with a white interior and white top. When
I bought it, it had about four layers of paint (red, copper, & burgundy),
a white top and a black interior. I spoke with the 2nd owner and he
was pleased to know I was redoing the car. He sent me some photos and
we talked about the history of the car and he gave me the details of
the engine rebuild he did in 1987 (0.030" overbore & a mild
cam but otherwise stock). He remembered the car (and the photos agreed)
as having a red interior. During restoration we have discovered that
the car did originally have a white interior, as evidenced by white
paint in the rear floor board area, and must have been changed at the
dealer to red before it was sold. After looking closely, we determined
that someone had dyed the red upholstery black. The car was almost completely
rust-free and had near-perfect chrome but had lots of minor dents and
scrapes. It was stripped to bare metal, restored and repainted in the
original Target Red. The interior stayed black with only the side panels
replaced (because of speaker holes). The rear end was wrong for the
car (3.08:1 open), had a crack in the housing and signs of an internal
explosion, so a complete rebuilt 3.55:1 Anti-Spin rear end was installed.
The car was ready for the May 2002 Bonny Eagle Show in Standish, ME.
I was able to obtain Massachusetts Antique plate 65442 which is installed
on the car. Over the winter of 2004-5, The correct white interior was
installed along with a few other minor mechanical items.

1966
442 Club Coupe (Tropic Turquoise)

I
first saw the 1966 442 Club Coupe in early April 2003 on the classified
advertisement section of www.442.com. I had been looking to find a 1966
because I had a 1966 Cutlass when I was younger and came across several
that I missed out on because either I didn't act quickly enough, or
l thought needed too much work. When I saw this one, I immediately emailed
the seller and asked for more details & pictures but I received
no response. All I got was the seller's answering machine when I called.
I finally heard from him (he had been away) and called him back to discuss
the car. Everything sounded good but I needed to check a few things
and by the time I re-contacted him the car was taken - waiting for the
buyer to come check the car in person. I figured "another one lost"
but two days later I received an email that the car was available again
as the previous buyer couldn't inspect the car for several weeks. I
immediately camped on the phone (it was busy but I redialed for 20 minutes)
until I reached the seller. We consummated a deal and a week later the
car was delivered toGolden
Oldies Performance, Inc in Wiscasset, ME. We have since
installed a correct 400 block with "B" heads and L-69 tri-carb
(rebuilt to W30 specifications), replaced the 3.23 rear end with a 3.90
and installed an M21 close ratio in place of the M20. I am very pleased
that I now have a 1966 442 and a rare one at that. The car is currently
undergoing a complete repaint and all new suspension parts are being
installed. It should be ready by the summer of 2011.

1962
Starfire Convertible (Chariot Red)

I
wasn't looking for another car when I discovered the 1962 Starfire convertible
on Ebay in June of 2004. I couldn't resist it and, after corresponding
with the owner several times, he agreed to end the auction early for
a price on which we agreed. It was purchased on June 21, 2004. The previous
owner had bought it in 1993 at a collector car auction in Seattle. He
is not not a car collector but had always wanted a 1962 Starfire Convertible
because he graduated from high school in 1962 and it was "THE CAR"
to have - 30 years later he was finally able to obtain one. When I asked
him why he was selling it he replied "Every time I look at it I
ask myself the same question". but then stated that he hardly drove
it any more and thought it was time for someone else to enjoy the car
(I certainly will). It arrived from California on July 8th via a special
car carrier which holds up to six cars on two levels inside a covered
trailer. The cars are loaded using hydraulically operated ramps. The
Starfire has had a partial restoration which included paint, interior,
and a new top in the early 1990s.

1965
442 Convertible (Ocean Mist)

It was December
16, 2004 and I had not yet really started my shopping. I had some things
I had purchased earlier and had salted away until the holidays but I
knew that additional items were needed to satisfy my list. My Oldsmobiles
had been prepared and placed into storage for the winter and my thoughts
were not with classic cars at all. My garage was full with what I thought
was the “final collection” ever since I obtained the Chariot
Red 1962 Starfire convertible the previous summer.

I
get a lot of email as a result of my web page www.teds-olds.com. Usually
they are questions about Oldsmobiles, which I answer if I can, complements
on my cars, or queries about buying one of my cars or ones similar to
them. In reviewing my email, I noticed one from a Steve Andrews. I was
not familiar with the name so I opened the email to check it out. It
seems Steve is a self-proclaimed classic car nut (even though he doesn’t
own one) and gearhead, who lives in Somerville, MA and has been visiting
my web site for some time. Steve has lived in an apartment building
for the past 8 years, and 2 or 3 times has seen an elderly woman back
an Ocean Mist 1965 442 out of a garage to “warm it up” and
then put it back. Steve subsequently met the woman and learned that
the car is original and has low mileage. Although the car owner had
been pressured many times to sell the car (she really didn’t use
it) she had always resisted and kept it stored in a rented garage.

Somehow
Steve learned that the house that the rented garage belonged to was
sold, the storage space was to be lost, and the woman was forced to
reluctantly sell her prized 442. His email was to advise me that the
car was available and, if I was interested, I needed to get over there
quickly and bring money before someone else grabbed it. We emailed and
telephoned back & forth a few times and arrangements were made for
me to see the car during the afternoon of Friday December 17. I arrived
at the prescribed location around 1:30 PM and we proceeded to the garage
where the car was stored. The owner’s daughter took off the car
cover, removed a Club lock, started the car and backed it out of the
garage. Unbelievable – the car had only 27,950 miles on it and
was equipped with the original black top and interior which showed very
little sign of use. It had power steering, brakes, bucket seats, and
the optional console, remote side mirror and emergency brake warning
light. All the body panels were straight and, although it had an older
repaint, was very presentable and looked great. The engine was smooth
running and quiet and it moved easily around the parking lot on its
bias ply tires.

The
owner spent much time fussing around the car to make sure everything
was done the right way. It was obvious that she was really attached
to the car and, if not forced into it, would not be selling it. If I
understand the history correctly, the owner bought it new in October
1965 from Bellotti Oldsmobile in Somerville, MA for her daughter to
use. It was driven for several years (there are some dated stickers
on the rear window) and then was essentially stored when the daughter
married & moved away. It has always been registered and inspected
(I have the inspection reports for the last several years which report
an annual mileage of 50-150 miles). Although the owner didn’t
have the original purchase paperwork, a letter of congratulations from
Bellotti Oldsmobile was in the glove box along with the owner’s
manual, folding top manual, and the original maintenance book with the
Protect-O-Plate.

It
didn’t take long before we sat down at her kitchen table and negotiated
a deal. I paid her the agreed amount and said I would pick the car up
the next day about the same time. She advised that studded snow tires,
extra wheels and a large supply of lead substitute went with the car.
I assured her that the car would have TLC and a good home.

On
Saturday December 18th, a friend and I picked the car up using a ramp
truck and transported it to another friend’s garage in Jamaica
Plain for storage until spring. It is now at my home (the odometer turned
over 28,000 miles on the trip out from Jamaica Plain) and is everything
I hoped it would be. We went through it mechanically and found very
little was required to make it roadworthy. It now has redline radial
tires and the optional spinner wire wheel covers and is getting to know
the joys of cruising. It appears that very little was done to the car
beyond necessary maintenance although it does have new water and fuel
pumps. Everything works correctly (including the radio) and it even
has an Anti-Spin rear end. The car is amazing to drive with the original
suspension (very quiet and NO rattles) and the top goes up and down
so quietly you need to look at it to know it is moving. According to
Automotive Information Clearing House, there are only 264 (5 in Massachusetts)
1965 442 Convertibles left. Now I have two of them and one is a 28,000-mile
original. Mrs Green (as we affectionately call her) was sold to a Florida
Oldsmobile collector who will continue to treat her with respect in
December 2007.

1967
442 Sports Coupe (Spanish Red)

I have been aware
of the existance of the 1967 442 for about 5 years but had not seen
it until the summer of 2005. I first heard of it when my friend Rick
at Golden
Oldies Performance, Inc in Wiscasset, Maine had the owner
drive in with a minor mechanical problem. Rick also knew of the car
and its owner but was very impressed with the condition of the car
and proceeded to check it out. It wasn't long before he discovered
that there were cutouts in the radiator support for the outside air
intake scoops which were provided with the W-30 package. The cutouts
were not factory smooth and the car did not have the red inner fenders
so we determined that it had once been a Trac-Pac car where the W-30
option was added by the dealer after the car had been delivered. The
W-30 option included a special balanced & blueprinted motor with
performance camshaft, special air cleaner, outside air intakes above
and below the parking lights with hoses leading to the air cleaner,
and relocation of the battery to the trunk. The car had been heavily
modified for drag racing and really was not suitable for the street.

In the summer
of 2005, I learned that the owner was interested in selling the car.
Rick and I met with him to more fully evaluate the car and see it
run. When we got to the owners house, he was trying to start it but
was having difficulty because one of the battery cables was corroded.
With the addition of a jumper cable he finally got it started and
backed it out of the garage. The car was gorgeous!

After closely inspecting
the car, we determined that it had been repainted once a long time
ago. The paint was so good (it is the original lacquer) that it is
almost undetectable.

I determined, at that time
that the car did not really fit in with my collection since it was
so "high strung" (the motor would barely idle at 2,000 RPM)
but offered to help the owner to sell it as a "Nostalgia Drag
Car". I put an ad in www.442.com and several other places, and
received a flurry of activity for a while mostly from people trying
to buy it for cheap money, and then no further responses.

In the fall of 2005, the
owner and I came to an agreement. He would sell me the car less the
race engine, headers, wheels and tires. Since then I have installed
a correct 1967 400CID motor rebuilt to W-30 specs that I had purchased
earlier, and made the modifications necessary to make the car street
worthy. I have also installed the W-30 air cleaner I had also purchased
earlier and reproduction W-30 inner air ducts. I will install the
outer air ducts when I receive them. Golden
Oldies Performance, Inc in Wiscasset, ME did all of the
work which turned out to be quite a bit more than originally anticipated.

The car is a 1967
Spanish Red Cutlass Supreme Sports Coupe built in Framingham, MA the
2nd week of April 1967 and was originally equipped with a the Oldsmobile
400 CID V8, Quadrajet Carburetor, Muncie 4 speed floor shift (no console)
and black interior with bucket seats.

It was purchased
on April 20, 1967 from Merrimack Street Garage in Manchester, NH with
drag racing in mind. It was raced at Oxford Plains Dragway in Oxford
Plains, ME (97 mph in 1/8 mile) and Winterport Dragway in Winterport,
ME where it set a record (at that time) of over 140 mph in 1/4 mile.
The original owner told me that with the race engine & 10"
slicks he could pull the front wheels off the ground easily. He had
wanted to purchase the car as a W-30 but the dealer "talked him
out of it". At some point, the original owner installed the W-30
Trac-Pac (all that was left of the Trak Pak when I got it was the
trunk battery tray and the cutouts for the air induction scoops).
Apparently the car was still not fast enough to suit the owner and
it was completely rebuilt to be a dedicated drag car. I have been
in contact with the original owner and hope to learn more of the car's
history.

Although the car
can't ever become original again (the original motor and drive train
is long gone) I have brought it back to the Trac-Pac configuration
it once held.

I enjoy taking the
cars to the local cruise spots and going to car shows. Although all
the cars have won trophies, this is not important to me. I enjoy meeting
other people with automobile interests and like to hear the spectators
reminisce. When I decided to become an Oldsmobile owner again, I expected
to have one or two cars. Well, I now have five (‘62 Starfire
Convertible, (2) ‘65 442 convertibles, ‘66 442 Club Coupe,
and '67 442 Sports Coupe) and no more garages.

1964
442 Holiday Coupe (Ebony Black)

I
purchased the 1964 442 from a fellow club member after he experienced
an engine fire. The fire department was just across the street and
responded quickly so the damage was confined to the engine bay although
the hood and fender were damaged when they tried to get inside to
put the fire out. After disassembly, we determined that the car had
previous damage which was not repaired properly necessitating the
replacement of the right quarter and straightening out lots of dents.
We also determined that water had entered the engine when the fire
was extinguished necessitating an engine rebuild. We aslo determined
that during a previous engine rebuild, low compression pistons and
the standard cam were installed - the rebuild was done with the correct
components. The car was restored byGolden
Oldies Performance, Inc in Wiscasset, ME and completed
in 2009.

1935
F35 5 Passenger Coupe Street Rod

I
had thought my collection of Oldsmobiles was complete since I had
one of each year that interested me but 5 was an odd number (I have
room for 6 cars) and I started looking around. I considered a 1963
Jetfire but discarded the idea after learning they could be very tempermental.
I also thought of an Oldsmobile powered Ford Roadster but then realized
they were very impractical, especially for someone of my stature.
I happened to be looking around ebay when I came across this beauty.
After speaking with the owner several times, I bid on it and, while
I won the auction, I didn't break the reserve. I spoke with the owner
several more times and we came to an agreement. The car was purchased
and arrived in Massachusetts by Intercity Lines on November 6, 2007.

The
car was built by Jerry Cawhorn of Vian, OK who found the car in the
woods near Jay. He completely stripped the Olds down to the frame,
sand blasted it, rust proofed it and put it back together piece by
piece, using stainless steel bolts and new everthing to make this
a car to drive. The car has no rust and took 7 years to build, Being
a 1935, the doors (inside) were put together with wood. Jerry painstakingly
rebuilt the doors and replaced the wood with metal where he could.
The floor of the car was completely replaced and the dash is all custom.
1935 was the first year with a solid steel top and the only year to
use the suicide doors. A Norm Grabowski skull shift knob gives the
inside a touch of attitude - Norm created it specially and it really
matches the car. The cars name is Vermin, named for the look you see
in your rear view mirror as it bears down on you from behind and has
a vermin graphic on the C pillars. The car has been driven to street
rod events in the mid-west and best known at the Mini Nats in Colorado.
This is the car that you envision guys jumping out with pin stripped
suits and tommie guns in their hands. It draws a crowd where ever
it goes and is an award winner. The body style (it is officially a
5 passenger coupe) of this car is a rare find.

As
of September 2010, The Car now is all Oldsmobile. It has a 1967 400
CID V8 rebuilt to W30 specs and fitted with a 1966 L-69 Tri-Carb.

2003
Final 500 Aurora

I have
been using a non-Oldsmobile as a daily driver for years - most recently
a 2006 Subaru Outback. Don’t get me wrong, Subaru is a fine
reliable car and all of them have all wheel drive – a major
advantage in the snowy northeast, but in the back of my mind, I have
always had the thought that I should be driving an Oldsmobile as a
daily driver. Now that I am retired, I don’t have to go out
regardless of the weather and when I saw a 2003 “Final 500”
Aurora listed on eBay, I decided the time had come. I was also influenced
by the fact that my daughter’s 1999 Subaru Forester was in need
of replacement, so I placed my bid using esnipe (a service that will
place your eBay bid in the last 6 seconds of the auction – this
allows you to remain anonymous until the end). Guess what –
I won the auction!

I contacted the seller
and Intercity Lines to arrange payment and transport, but unfortunately
November is “snowbird season” and Intercity couldn’t
deliver the car until almost 3 weeks later.The Aurora was delivered
on the morning of November 18 by a husband / wife Intercity team (I
can’t say enough for Intercity Lines – they are the best)
and I arranged to transfer the registration from my Outback to it
the same day and have been driving the Aurora ever since.

The Aurora is classified
as a “near luxury” model and certainly is. This car has
every option except the navigation system and is a pleasure to drive.
It has memory seats, mirrors, radio and climate control that can be
set to automatically adjust for two drivers and the 4.0 liter V8 (similar
to the Northstar) provides excellent performance. It also has many
other features including a vehicle stabilization system which make
it handle competently. I was pleased that it made almost 26 miles/gallon
on a recent trip to Maine on 87 octane gas.

My Aurora (I am the second
owner) is number 110 of the final 500, came complete with all the
final 500 documentation, and is in excellent condition for 97,000
miles. These cars routinely are good for several 100,000 miles when
properly maintained and I have no reason to think this one will be
any different.

Now I am finally “all
Oldsmobile” and can feel good about it. I wonder if I can convince
Claire to give up her Forester for a “Final 500 Bravada”?